Toyota Celica GT Convertible

Celica GT Convertible features reliability, driver-friendly attitude.

If you wish Toyota made a convertible Camry, you just might want to take a look at the Toyota Celica GT Convertible.

While not as quiet as Toyota’s popular sedan, the Toyota Celica GT Convertible is a rather tame little two-door. What it may lack in spirit, though, it makes up for with Toyota’s bulletproof reliability and driver-friendly attitude.

Solid handling and competent performance make Toyota Celica GT Convertible a wonderful choice for getting where you want to go. Opting for the soft-top version adds a dollop of excitement to otherwise routine excursions. With the next-generation Toyota Celica GT Convertible in the pipeline, Toyota chose to make no substantial changes to the 1999s. What it did do was to discontinue the ST trim level, leaving just the GT. My latest Toyota Celica GT Convertible experience was with a renaissance red GT Convertible.

The Environmental Protection Agency classifies the Toyota Celica GT Convertible as a minicompact. This sounds much smaller than it really is. Inside, driver and front-seat passenger have plenty of room. As with most coupes, the rear seat area is suitable only for children if the drive is more than a few blocks. Although comfortable, the front seats are sufficiently firm for long trips. Well-placed, the controls are easy to use.

All the bits and pieces in my test GT were screwed together with care. The standard audio system in the Convertible is an eight-speaker AM/FM stereo/cassette/CD play-er. Rich and crisp, the sound this system creates is better than in some luxury sedans. One negative is the smallish trunk with an unusually high lift-over.

Dropping the convertible top is a painless process taking less than a minute. Once the top has been unlatched from the windshield header, the push of a button automatically lowers it. A soft boot installs with equal ease. When raised, the top fits snugly and has a glass rear window.

Under the hood is a 2.2-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine. While it won’t have you eating your neighbors’ dust when the light turns green, this four-banger works hard to keep you among the pack. The slick-shifting five-speed manual transmission bumps up the fun-to-drive quotient considerably. The throws are short and the clutch is light. Ambling to 60 miles per hour from a standing stop requires just under 10 seconds.

Fuel economy is decent with an EPA miles-per-gallon rating of 22 city and 28 highway.

Highly responsive, the power-assisted steering makes Toyota Celica GT Convertible a nimble performer in the city. It is a joy in crowded parking lots and on busy streets. On the open road, the steering is heavy enough to provide excellent feedback to the driver. A four-wheel independent suspension is tuned to provide a firm structure. This in conjunction with Toyota Celica GT Convertible’s short wheelbase makes for a fairly stiff ride. Dialed more toward handling, the suspension architecture is sufficiently firm to keep the Toyota Celica GT Convertible flat in the turns. It’s an acceptable blend of control and comfort. Discs on all four wheels provide Toyota Celica GT Convertible’s braking power. Anti-lock remains an option.

Although several luxury brands have convertible offerings, the selection falls off considerably as the price point falls. At $24,899, Toyota Celica GT Convertible is one of the few droptops in the middle-price range. Included in the base sticker are a number of standard features including dual front air bags, 15-inch alloy wheels, dual power outboard mirrors, rear spoiler, fog lamps, air conditioning, center console, tilt steering wheel, variable intermittent wipers, rear-window defogger, power windows/locks, tachometer, cruise control and carpeted floor mats.

My test Toyota Celica GT Convertible also had an upgrade package ($1,640) with leather seating, leather door trim, leather shift knob, leather-wrapped steering wheel and anti-lock brakes. The window sticker also reflected a value package discount of $1,150. Adding the $475 destination charge brought the total as tested to $25,864.